Karen Shakhnazarov, globally acknowledged as one of Russia's most revered filmmakers, will be in Melbourne for the Gala Opening Night of the 14th annual Russian Resurrection Film Festival, which will screen his latest feature, Anna Karenina: Vronsky's Story.

Film director, screenwriter, producer, and novelist – and fluent in English – Shakhnazarov is a leading player of Russia's vibrant film industry. Whilst in Melbourne, he will be available for select interviews on 9 and 10 November.

Over the years, his films have been shown at several of the most prestigious international film festivals where they have garnered more than 20 awards in various categories.

Credits include Zero City (1988), The Assassin of the Tsar (1991), American Daughter (1995), Day of the Full Moon (1998), The World History of Poisoning (2001) and The Vanished Empire (2008). His films, Ward No. 6 (2009) and White Tiger (2012), were selected as Russia's entries for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars.

Since 1998, Shakhnazarov has also held the post of General Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mosfilm Cinema Concern. Under his leadership, Russia's largest film studio not only survived a difficult period during the 1990s, but has grown to become the largest single filmmaking concern in Europe. Operating at a global level, the studio now produces the greater share of Russian cinema, television and video.

Melbourne audiences will be able to enjoy Shakhnazarov's latest movie, Anna Karenina: Vronsky's Story at the Festival, which will take place at ACMI from 9 to 19 November. Set in 1904, 30 years after the heartbreaking events of Tolstoy's novel, this drama brings together Anna's son, Sergei Karenin and Alexey Vronsky who find themselves joined by fate in a remote Manchurian village, where they try to find answers to Anna's suicide, a tragedy which has haunted both their lives.

Tickets and full programme details are now available for what promises to be a thrilling season for the 2017 Russian Resurrection Film Festival at: http://russianresurrection.com/2017

Date and venues for the 2017 Russian Resurrection Film Festival are:
Sydney: 26 October to 5 November at Event Cinemas George Street and Burwood
Perth: 27 October to 1 November at Cinema Paradiso, Northbridge
Brisbane: 01 November to 08 November at Event Cinemas Myer Centre Brisbane City
Canberra: 10-15 November at Capitol Cinemas Manuka
Melbourne: 09 to 19 November at ACMI
Auckland NZ: from 08 to 12 November at Rialto Cinemas Newmarket

To stay up to date with Russian Resurrection Film Festival visit: http://russianresurrection.com/2017